


Unexpected

by Maeve_of_Winter



Category: The Trixie Belden Mysteries - Julie Campbell Tatham & Kathryn Kenny
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-07-15
Updated: 2014-07-15
Packaged: 2018-02-08 22:34:16
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 256
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1958613
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Maeve_of_Winter/pseuds/Maeve_of_Winter
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Peter Belden watches in amusement as his teenagers prepare for Valentine's Day.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Unexpected

**Author's Note:**

> Written for the Jixemitri prompts "moonlight" and "garden."
> 
> I welcome constructive criticism on all of my works. If you want to leave a comment, that's perfectly fine, but if you'd prefer to send a message, my email is goldphoenixrising@yahoo.com.

"How's everything with your family?" Harold asks him over the phone. "Are your teenagers still dating the neighbor kids?"

Peter Belden chuckles. "Yes. As I speak, the kitchen table is covered with the components of Mart's gift to his girlfriend."

He glances at the assembly in front of him. Homemade cookies stacked in a tin, wrapped chocolates tied with a ribbon, and packages of coffee and tea, all waiting to be arranged in the carefully decorated gift bag. A thoughtful Valentine's Day present, considering it's from a teenage boy to his first girlfriend.

"You'll be having a wedding at your farm in short order," Harold predicts. "It will seem like a blink of an eye, but then the kids will be all grown up."

"I don't know about that," Peter says. "High school romances don't often last in the adult world."

Rising from the table, he idly flicks open the card Mart selected to accompany the gift. The note inside begins with "To D.- the most important person in my life," and is followed by paragraphs of poetry. The prose contains numerous analogies and metaphors about the beauty of nature- stuff about gardens and moonlight.

Peter smiles. Oh, teenage romance.

He frowns, though, when he sees the passage's conclusion: "From your best friend, Mart Belden."

Why would Mart write "best friend" instead of "boyfriend" on a card to Diana?

Peter blinks. Oh.

"On second thought," Peter tells Harold. "I wouldn't be surprised to end up with one of the neighbor boys as a son-in-law one day."


End file.
